A group of
armed men in Ife, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, have
killed a preacher, popularly known as Nnamani.
The hoodlums
also shot and chopped off one Sunday Akpan’s left buttock.
It was
learnt that the village hooligans had threatened few days earlier to deal with
the preacher for ‘disturbing them with message about repentance.’
The Village
Head, Chief Saturday Isemin, a retired assistant superintendent of police, told
Southern City News in Ife on Thursday that the gangsters dragged the preacher
to a bush near the back of a primary school in the night, where they killed him
and hid his corpse.
“People saw
some of those hooligans drag the preacher in the night to a bush where they
killed him and hid his corpse. Since that time, nobody has said anything about
the killing of the innocent man.
“His offence
was that he used to disturb them with his preaching. They said that he would be
going around asking people to give their lives to Christ,” he said.
Speaking on
the attack on Akpan, the village head said he had been admitted in Etinan
General Hospital, where he was receiving treatment.
He said
Akpan could not sit on the bed except by lying down as his buttock had been cut
off by the gang men.
A report
signed by Investigation Police Officer, Mr. Dominic Asuquo, an inspector,
indicated that Akpan was beaten with machete and shot on the right leg.
“The patient
was attacked on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at 5pm in Ife Town, Mkpat Enin LGA by
gang men (six), three used guns and one Unyime also used machete.
Isemin said
the problem started in the village when the youths locked and beat up the
elders who were having an executive council meeting in the hall.
He added
that a security guard who had the keys to the premises was severely beaten up
and later they placed a table on his head on which one hefty member of the gang
sat.
Speaking
also, the youth president of Ife Town, Mr. Tony Akpan, said the police in the
area had compromised as the boys wield guns at their presence.
He added
that the policemen know the hoodlums by name.
He said,
“There have been series of problems in our community starting from August 12
last year. We were at executive meeting at the council hall. The meeting
started at 7am and after saying the prayer, we saw two men.
“Barely had
the meeting started when the two men left and mobilised some of their members
to our meeting place. They locked us up and gave all the elders, including me,
thorough beating.
“We couldn’t
call the police as they seized our phones. They carted away N305,000 that was
in my bag which was supposed to be given to somebody.
“If not for
one DSS personnel that wanted to see one of us by coming there, we don’t know
what they would have done with us.
“What they
told the DSS personnel was that they do not want us to be their leaders, saying
we are thieves.”
The Police
Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Chukwu Ikechukwu, said the police
were not aware of crime in Ife.
He said he
would wire the District Police Officer in the area for information on the
crime.
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